Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – A Sheriff’s Office investigation into an East Syracuse man accused of trying to sell a gun at the Regional Farmers Market has led to numerous charges stemming from a series of burglaries throughout Onondaga County.
Sheriff's Deputies say Ronald Cottrell – a frequent vendor at the Regional Market – was trying to sell a .25 caliber handgun to other vendors who were waiting for the market to open. Cottrell is also known as Ronald Euson.
After an off-duty Sheriff’s Deputy who was working security at the market was notified, Cottrell was taken into custody and the weapon was taken away from him.
At the same time, Cottrell had emerged as a suspect in several storage-facility burglaries.
On March 23, detectives released surveillance video of a Van Buren storage unit being burglarized. The Sheriff’s Office received numerous tips identifying the East Syracuse man as a potential suspect.
Last year in May, Cottrell - referred to as Ronald Euson in a report from the Sheriff's Office - was also arrested by deputies following
an incident in which a suspect accidentally dialed Onondaga County 911 while he and three others planned a heist in the town of Clay. A dispatcher overheard the trio plotting and led deputies directly to them. At the time, they were arrested on grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property charges.
Detectives say a subsequent interview led them to arrest Cottrell on charges including:
- 51 counts burglary in the third degree
- 52 counts of possession of burglar tools
- 49 counts of criminal mischief in the fourth degree
- 2 counts of criminal mischief in the third degree
- 4 counts of grand larceny in the third degree
- 5 counts of petit larceny
- 1 count of criminal trespass in the third degree
Cottrell is being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center after being arraigned in the City of Syracuse Criminal Court and Town of Clay Court.
Sheriff’s Detectives believe Cottrell broke into the following facilities:
- November 20, 2011: Public Storage facility, 7345 Oswego Rd. - 31 storage units
- March 12, 2012: Store More Pay Less facility, 7029 Van Buren Rd. - 8 storage units
- March 12, 2012: B & C Storage facility, located at 2732 West Entry Rd. - 10 storage units
- March 21, 2012: Uncle Bob’s Storage facility, 8239 Thompson Rd. - 48 storage units
Sheriff’s Detectives are continuing their investigation and currently coordinating with the New York State Police, Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, and the East Syracuse Police Department, who are also investigating multiple storage facility burglaries.
